296 



CHARLES DARWIN 



short time we were surrounded by a large group of the nearly 

 pure Indian inhabitants. They were much surprised at our 

 arrival, and said one to the other, " This is the reason we 

 have seen so many parrots lately; the cheucau (an odd red- 

 breasted little bird, which inhabits the thick forest, and utters 

 very peculiar noises) has not cried 'beware' for nothing." 

 They were soon anxious for barter. Money was scarcely 

 worth anything, but their eagerness for tobacco was some- 

 thing quite extraordinary. After tobacco, indigo came next 

 in value; then capsicum, old clothes, and gunpowder. The 

 latter article was required for a very innocent purpose : each 

 parish has a public musket, and the gunpowder was wanted 

 for making a noise on their saint or feast days. 



The people here live chiefly on shell-fish and potatoes. At 

 certain seasons they catch also, in " corrales," or hedges 

 under water, many fish which are left on the mud-banks as 

 the tide falls. They occasionally possess fowls, sheep, goats, 

 pigs, horses, and cattle; the order in which they are here 

 mentioned, expressing their respective numbers. I never 

 saw anything more obliging and humble than the manners 

 of these people. They generally began with stating that 

 they were poor natives of the place, and not Spaniards, 

 and that they were in sad want of tobacco and other com- 

 forts. At Caylen, the most southern island, the sailors 

 bought with a stick of tobacco, of the value of three-half- 

 pence, two fowls, one of which, the Indian stated, had skin 

 between its toes, and turned out to be a fine duck ; and with 

 some cotton handkerchiefs, worth three shillings, three sheep 

 and a large bunch of onions were procured. The yawl at 

 this place was anchored some way from the shore, and we 

 had fears for her safety from robbers during the night. Our 

 pilot, Mr. Douglas, accordingly told the constable of the 

 district that we always placed sentinels with loaded arms, 

 and not understanding Spanish, if we saw any person in the 

 dark, we should assuredly shoot him. The constable, with 

 much humility, agreed to the perfect propriety of this 

 arrangement, and promised us that no one should stir out 

 of his house during that night. 



During the four succeeding days we continued sailing 

 southward. The general features of the country remained 



